In my work as a professional facilitator here at The Brooks Group, I teach salespeople that the purpose of a professional salesperson is not to make individual sales, but rather to build long-term relationships that will result in repeat business and delighted customers who will cheerfully refer you to people just like themselves who could use your services or products. Recently, I had an experience with a saleswoman who lives and breathes that philosophy.

My wife (Jean) and I just returned from a trip to Hawaii to celebrate our 25^th wedding anniversary. It was a spectacular trip, made possible with the assistance of a remarkable travel agent named Kay Ryan, from Maui Vacation Consultants.  “Maui Kay,” as she is affectionately known by her clients, is an Air Force veteran who has lived on the island of Maui for more than 20 years.

Like many other people traveling today, I checked the Internet ahead of time, looking on my own for ‘great deals’ and information about the types of activities we might enjoy.  We had been to Maui on our honeymoon in 1985, loved it, and wanted to go back.  Back then – before the Internet – we employed the services of a travel agency and never regretted it.  Consequently, we decided to seek the services of another travel professional, and we came across Kay Ryan’s website.

Kay understands her products and services inside and out and can explain them to her customers in simple, meaningful terms – a great lesson for any sales professional.

She is also customer-focused.  Kay digs deep into what’s important to you, not what’s easy or good for her.  Months in advance of the trip she was asking probing questions about the types of recreational activities we preferred, our budget range, meal preferences, air and ground travel choices and more.  After listening to us, Kay made her recommendations to us.  Kay even suggested that we take our inter-island flight from Honolulu into a small airport near our hotel, thus saving us a long drive from a larger airport on the other side of the island.  That small detail is indicative of her overall detailed approach to planning your unforgettable vacation and something that we, as the customers, noticed and appreciated. Remember, as a sales professional, you don’t have to be 20 to 25 percent better than your competition; you just have to be 2 to 3 percent better for your customers to appreciate and respect the work you do.

During our stay, Kay personally delivered some of our events tickets.  She could have simply dropped them off at the front desk, but she didn’t.  Instead, she used the opportunity to gather feedback on how well we were enjoying our vacation and see if there were any problems that needed addressing or opportunities to be of further service.  How often do you check with your customers to see if they are satisfied? Or do you just assume that if you don’t hear anything, then everything must be okay?  Perhaps you’re missing a great opportunity to solve a problem or upsell your customer on a new product or service.

As a sales professional you have the opportunity to make your relationships with your clients go above and beyond that of a supplier and a customer.  Years of research here at The Brooks Group have shown that when you promise a lot and deliver even more you set yourself apart from other salespeople.  You become the person your clients will remember and will want to do business with again and again.

Country singer Kenny Rogers had a big hit record called The Gambler, and a verse from that tune read “You gotta know when to hold’em, know when to fold’em, know when to walk away, know when to run…” Those words offer sage advice to card players and salespeople too. Are you listening salespeople? Let me explain. Like gamblers hoping to win a pot of money, salespeople bet their professional lives on winning the sale… but you can’t win them all.

Smart card players recognize a losing hand when they’re dealt one. Sometimes they’ll try to bluff their opponents, but they also know that strategy will work just so many times before the other players catch on. Instead, the wise card player understands when it’s time to throw back his cards and live to play another hand. As a professional salesperson, sometimes you’ll be dealt a bad hand during a sales appointment. For example, the prospect comes across as unfriendly, impatient, overly critical, tight-lipped or incredibly demanding. You try several ways to get the prospect to open up and begin to trust you, but it doesn’t happen. In fact, you get the impression the prospect is just using you to collect information and has no intention of doing business with you.

Guess what? It’s time to fold’em and walk away. For some salespeople, it’s counter-intuitive to leave a prospect’s office after working so hard to gain the appointment. Do it anyway. Cut your losses. Don’t be rude or abrupt, but don’t be afraid to tell the prospect it appears you’re not the right company to help them solve their problems. You’ll save yourself a lot of aggravation and frustration going after business that’s not there, and you can better invest the time with a prospect who is sincere about discussing your products and services. That’s the time to “hold ‘em.”

Most everyone understands the importance of making a good first impression during a sales call. However, fewer people are aware that what you say is a lot less important than how you look. Research indicates that when it comes to first impressions, nonverbal cues carry up to four times more weight than what is actually spoken. Your words will let your prospect know about your future actions, but your non-verbal cues will offer insight into who you are as a person.

When prospects meet us in person for the very first time, they notice our facial expressions, our ability to maintain eye contact, how we sit, the tone of our voice, and, of course, the way we are dressed. Some research indicates those first impressions are formed in less than 30 seconds, and what’s more, the impressions people get from nonverbal cues are extremely accurate. Furthermore, the self-fulfilling prophecy says if you like the other person initially, you will look for additional reasons to like them. And unfortunately, the opposite is true. If you don’t have a positive first impression, you will tend to focus on things that will make you dislike the other person. The gut-level first impression your prospects get about you will impact your relationship immediately and last for a very long time. One study says it can take up to six months to overcome a bad first impression. In the world of professional selling, can you afford to work six months just to overcome a bad beginning?

So what are you to do? The next time you go on a sales call, before you meet your prospect, find a mirror. Check your appearance – your prospect certainly will. And don’t forget to smile – a sincere smile sends a message that you are a friendly person and not a threat. Offer to shake hands, but don’t make it a ‘bone-crusher’ or ‘dead-fish’ shake. Pump your hands 3 to 5 times and let go, making sure you look the prospect in one eye (preferably the right eye). If invited to sit down, sit up straight and lean forward – it shows enthusiasm and interest in what the other person is saying.

Years of research also indicate it’s more important how you open the sale than how you close it, so make your first impression – the nonverbal one – a good one.

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Just over a month ago, my son, Phillip, was traveling to Alaska and had his golf clubs stolen from the protective carrier after his bags had been checked.

I had promised Phillip that when he graduated I would buy him any golf clubs of his choice. Considering it wasn’t his fault they got stolen, I decided to get him the clubs of his dreams sooner than we had planned, and told him to go test out some different clubs before he made his decision.

Phillip went without me to try out the different brands of golf clubs. When he got back, he said he had a horrible experience testing the clubs. The salesperson in the golf equipment department paid no attention to him. When Philip asked to try out some clubs in the practice net, the salesperson merely unlocked the cage and let him in without a word being spoken. After Philip was done hitting the golf balls, the salesperson didn’t ask him a single question.

Needles to say, Philip left the store without making a purchase. He said he felt like the salesperson thought he was just somebody with no money in his pocket and nothing better to do than test out some golf clubs he had no intention to buy.

Two days later, I took Philip to a teaching professional and golf club sales representative. They asked him a series of questions about his golf game, watched him hit practice balls with a variety of clubs, measured every aspect of his swing, asked more questions and mapped out his recommendations on a chart. We ordered 13 new golf clubs that day.

Bottom line, you can’t pre-judge a prospect before pre-qualifying them. I’m sure at some point we all have, but it’s important to remember, “Never judge a book by its cover.” Never judge a prospect without taking the time to find out if they are indeed a qualified buyer. You may be surprised.

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No doubt, these are tough economic times, and many of your regular customers may not be doing as much business from you as in the past. In fact, those same customers may be asking for concessions from you such as lower prices, easier financing terms or a variety of bundling options.

Some of your customers’ demands could appear unreasonable – or unprofitable – for you, so you may have to say “No,” and that’s okay. If there’s mutual trust between you and your regular customers, they will understand there’s a limit to your generosity. However, instead of responding to your customers with what you can’t do, try to offer some solutions about what you can do. I call it, “Throwing them a bone.”

For example, you may have some options that are low-cost to you but have a high perceived value for the customer. Adding those in to a proposal in place of a price cut demonstrates your sincere desire to help and could produce the win-win scenario that helps both sides.

Every salesperson and business faces hard times; however, history tells us those hard times will pass. Your customers may not remember everything you said or did for them in the past, but they will remember how you made them feel about doing business with you.

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On March 23, 2009, golfer Tiger Woods made it back to the winner’s circle for the first time since he won the U.S. Open last June. It wasn’t that Tiger Woods was playing badly; he just wasn’t playing, due to a leg injury that required surgery.

With all the money Tiger has earned, he didn’t have to return to competitive playing. However, anyone who’s ever watched Woods play knows it’s not in his nature to quit.

So what did Tiger do in his second tournament back in action? He won it on the very last hole, after coming from five strokes behind in the fourth and final round.

Some viewers might simply say he won because of his natural talent. Others realize he won because of his work ethic. During the broadcast, there was a graphic on the screen that described Tiger’s typical practice routine. His practice days start at 6:00 AM with 90 minutes of weight training. Following breakfast, he hits practice balls and putts for a few hours, before playing nine holes of golf. After lunch, he practices on the driving range again before playing nine more holes. By now, it’s 5:30 PM, and Tiger’s day isn’t done. There’s about an hour of putting practice. It’s more than natural talent that makes Tiger a winner; it’s also preparation and hard work.

It’s the same formula for success in sales. You may have talent, but it’s not enough. It’s going to take hard work and preparation. Coming into work late, leaving early or taking two hour lunch breaks on a regular basis usually doesn’t cut it if you’re not the only game in town. Just as Tiger has competition on the professional golf tour, you have competition in your marketplace, and one of your competitors could be willing to prepare as thoroughly as Tiger Woods. Thus, the question becomes, how hard are you willing to work to win? At least in golf, the runner-up cashes a check. That’s not the case in the world of professional selling. If you want the first-place check, you’ve got to win.

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It’s refreshing to come across a company that does the right thing, even when no one is looking. While I was in Denver facilitating a sales training class last week, my client added three more students at the last minute. I normally carry an extra set or two of student materials with me just for those circumstances; however, this time I was one short.

Fortunately, there was a FedEx Office store on the first floor of the hotel, and one of the students offered to take a workbook there to make a photocopy. She returned a few minutes later and told me the clerk refused to reproduce the workbook because of the copyright markings on each page. At this point, I took the workbook to the store myself, presented proof that I worked for The Brooks Group and explained it was indeed okay to print a copy. Within minutes, I had an extra workbook in my hands.

Ironically, the clerk tried to apologize to me. No apology was necessary. In fact, I thanked her and her manager for turning away business to do the right thing. Chances are they could have taken the cash and no one would have ever known or cared.

During my future travels, I may come across similar circumstances. I’ll need to make extra copies, and I already know where I’ll go to get the services I need. Well done FedEx Office; you’ve earned a new and loyal customer.

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The Brooks Group remains among the sales professional's elite companies

The competition at this year's annual awards for sales and customer service once again featured some of America's top sales professionals and forward-thinking organizations. The honors are presented by the Stevie Awards®, which organize several of the world's leading business accolade shows, including the prestigious American Business Awards.

The Brooks Group and its IMPACT Selling® System were recognized as a finalist for Sales Process of the Year™ during the celebration hosted at Las Vegas' famed Caesar's Palace. In fact, The Brooks Group was the only professional sales and sales management training firm among the six finalists that were recognized for outstanding application of a sales model.

This year, the Stevies received more than 500 entries from companies of all sizes and industries, competing for awards in 40 categories of sales and service.

"Being named a Finalist in the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service is an important achievement," said Michael Gallagher, president of the Stevie Awards. "It means that independent business executives have agreed that the nominee is worthy of international recognition. We congratulate all of the Finalists on their achievement."

These nominations follow TBG's 2006 win as Consulting Sales Organization of the Year. They also mark the fifth time since 2006 that The Brooks Group has been tapped for recognition of one of their flagship training and coaching programs.

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But is it worth a client?

As the popularity of social-networking websites continues to grow, here’s a word to the wise: be very careful what you display about yourself on those sites — it could cost you business.

Recently, during one of the morning talk shows, the host interviewed a consultant who advises companies and individuals regarding the information and photos posted on their Websites. He shared a story of a salesman who was working a potential $1 million deal with a prospect.

The salesperson thought it would be a good idea to invite the prospect into his circle of friends on Facebook.com. The prospect accepted the invitation, and when he started touring the salesperson’s site, he found it filled with pictures of the salesperson with beer bottles in his hands and looking like he drank a few too many of them. I think you can guess what happened next; the prospect ended negotiations with the salesperson, citing his concerns about handing over a large sum of money to someone whose passion appeared to be alcohol consumption.

When is the last time you Googled your name? Are there stories about you or pictures of you on the web? Are they flattering or embarrassing? Furthermore, there are people out there with the same name as you. Could your prospects or customers think the person in the story is you? The subject may never come up in conversation; however, you might want to be prepared if it does.

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Here's one of the most important questions you could ever ask one of your prospects: "Is there anyone else besides yourself who might be involved with this purchasing decision?"

Why is the question so critical? Because more and more companies are using committees to make major buying decisions. Many salespeople tell me, "I thought I was talking to the person in charge, but when I asked for the sale, I was informed there were other players in the decision-making process who would have to be consulted first."

Senior executives who used to buy on the spot are often now consulting several members of their respective organizations. Why? It's simple - they want 'buy in' from the people who will have to manage or use your products and services. In short, don't be surprised if the person you thought was the decision-maker invites you back to talk with a production manager, a purchasing officer or perhaps even an end user of your products or services. While it's not bad to be invited back for another appointment, it is time consuming. Furthermore, if you have to meet with each of the other players individually, you may find yourself asking and answering the same questions over and over again.

So what can you do? First, in your pre-call planning research, try to determine how buying decisions are made at your prospect's place of business. If you discover your prospect uses a 'committee' approach, don't be afraid to recommend that you make your sales presentation to the entire committee, instead of making three or four individual presentations.

Second, allot more time to the committee meeting. It's likely you're going to have to field more questions, but it will be worth it. After all, you might find yourself making one sales presentation instead of three or four.